The Undersea Treasure
by tothandar
Summary: The story by TheXTremeII which he posted for WinstonWolf666 was plagarized from this story. This is the COMPLETE story by the actual author. See how Penny and Atsuko outwit Dr. Claw and his minion Dr. Nereus.


"The Undersea Treasure"  
An Inspector Gadget Fic 

by tothandar, with plot input from S. Dumas

* * *

Author's Note: This story was plagarized by Malik, otherwise known as NewJackCityMan and WinstonWolf666, and was posted by TheXtremeII on this board. This makes them BOTH plagarists in my eyes and will forever. This is the actual story by the actual author.

* * *

Chief Quimby sat in his office reviewing an intelligence report. One stack, to be read, sat on his left. Another stack, already perused, sat on his right. He was looking for just the right assignment for Inspector Gadget. 

For Quimby had decided that Gadget needed a vacation. He needed to get away from his obsessive pursuit of Dr. Claw. He was worried about Gadget. Dr. Claw hadn't resurfaced in almost a year. Given his history, this was a long, long time for him and Quimby was more than ready to hope that the world had finally seen the last of him. But it didn't satisfy Gadget. The man had been pouring over reports, badgering informants and generally becoming a nuisance - - OK, more of a nuisance than usual.

Quimby had suggested that Gadget take some time off, but the inspector wouldn't hear of it. He didn't want to order him- - that might force something drastic from a person proven to be dangerous and resourceful and who was clearly obsessed. Instead he would trick Gadget into taking some time off.

If only he could find the right report. It had to be something that seemed legitimate but probably wasn't. Something that sounded like the work of Dr. Claw so it would grab Gadget's attention and hold him.

And it had to be something far away - - far, far away. Quimby absently rubbed the scar on his hand. He'd gotten the scar from a burn. The burn came from a self-destructing message. The message, of course, came from . . .

"Okinawa," Quimby murmured, focusing more intently on a report. "Japan's far enough away."

The more he read, the less the scar on his hand itched.

* * *

"You sent for me, Chief?" Inspector Gadget asked, framed by the doorway. He saluted crisply, knocking over the coatrack next to the door. Quimby gritted his teeth.

"Yes, Gadget," Quimby said. "We've received a report out of Naha."

"I'm not familiar with that organization," Gadget replied, sitting down across the desk from Quimby. "The North American, um, Horticultural Agency?"

"Naha," scowled Quimby, "as in the capitol of Okinawa."

"Oh, um, yes, heh heh, of course," Gadget said.

"There have been reports of odd behavior in the local shark population," Quimby began.

"And you think that it's some new M.A.D. plot?"

"Um," Quimby mumbled, "it's, um, worth checking."

"Say no more, Chief! I'm always on duty! I'll leave immediately."

"Um, Gadget," Quimby spoke up. "Maybe you need to be - - subtle about this."

"Subtle, Chief?"

"We don't want to, um, tip Dr. Claw off that we're on to him. Perhaps if you acted like you were vacationing instead of investigating."

"Smart thinking, Chief."

"Yes, I thought so. Take Penny along. That'll help your cover - - and seeing Okinawa might do the girl some good, too."

"Yes. That's part of Japan. Perhaps she could meet up with her friend, Atsuko. Although the two of them see each other every day on their computer . . ."

"Excellent notion! See to it, Gadget! Spare no expense! But remember - - keep up the vacation cover story as long as you can."

"I'm on it, Chief," Gadget declared. He stopped before reaching the door. Noticing the coatrack for the first time, Gadget extended his arms. "Go Go Gadget Arms!" Mechanical arms shot out, grasped the coatrack and replaced it next to the door. Opening the door, he whirled with a flourish and looked back at Quimby. "You can depend on me, Chief."

The door slammed behind him, jostling the coatrack. It tipped over and fell to the floor once again. Chief Quimby just rested his chin on his hand and glared.

* * *

"Please fasten your seatbelts," came the request of the flight attendant over the plane's intercom. "We will be landing in Naha shortly. Please do not unfasten your seatbelts until instructed to do so."

"What a lovely place!" Penny gasped as she peered out the window of the airliner. "It's like a tiny bit of civilization carved out of a huge tropical jungle!"

"Reah," Brain nodded. Inspector Gadget was on the aisle seat, with Penny in the middle and Brain occupying the window seat. Brain was disguised as a tourist, complete with wide brim hat, sunglasses, tropical print shirt and twill shorts, and a camera around his neck. There was no way he was riding in the baggage compartment.

"It is different from anything I've ever seen," Gadget replied. He was still deep in thought, as he'd been the entire trip.

"Do you think you'll have time to do some sight-seeing, Uncle Gadget?" Penny asked with feigned innocence.

"What? Oh, um, yes, of course!" Gadget sputtered. "That is why we're here, after all. It's not like I'm secretly on a case or anything."

Penny and Brain exchanged smirks. She had surreptitiously read the report Chief Quimby had given her uncle. She just couldn't resist teasing him a little while playing the innocent. She would secretly help him, as she always did, should something prove to be actually happening. The report itself was too vague to draw any conclusions from. If she found something, she would deal with it. If it turned out to be nothing, she was in for a vacation in an unexplored place.

And Atsuko was going to meet them there. The moment she learned of Penny's trip, she managed to wangle a trip to Okinawa herself. How much better could things get?

"The Captain has given the all clear signal," the flight attendant announced. "You are now free to unfasten your seatbelts and depart in an orderly fashion for the exit hatches. And thank you for flying Air Nippon. Welcome to Japan."

Atsuko met them at the arrival gate. When the two girls spotted each other, they both broke into a sprint and met half-way, joyously hugging like the two long-lost friends they were- - even though they'd just talked by video-cam link forty-eight hours earlier. Gadget and Brain caught them several moments later.

"Thank you for allowing me to intrude upon your 'vacation'," Atsuko said, bowing to Inspector Gadget. She shot Penny a conspiratorial wink as she did.

"We're happy to have you, Atsuko," Gadget replied. He returned the bow, and in the act spilled all the reports from the folder her was carrying onto the floor. Stooping to pick them up, he used both hands and one mechanical extension emerging from the top of his hat, drawing amazed stares from the other disembarking passengers. "After all, there's nothing like having friends along on A FAMILY VACATION THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH POLICE WORK." More people stared.

Atsuko and Penny turned away to keep from laughing. "What were you planning on doing first, Penny-chan?" Atsuko asked. "Hitting all the tourist traps in Naha?"

"A few," shrugged Penny as the quartet headed for the cab stand. "Actually I wanted to go scuba diving tomorrow."

"Scuba diving?" Atsuko queried, surprised by her response.

"Did you say scuba diving?" Gadget asked, pulled from his thoughtful mood.

"Yes, Uncle Gadget. The Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea are both just full of aquatic wildlife! I'd love to study them up close!"

"But it's a big ocean, Penny," Gadget said.

"Please say I can, Uncle Gadget. I'm fully rated in diving. You know that."

"Then you know it's not safe to go diving alone."

"I'm fully rated as well, Gadget-san," Atsuko told him. "Penny and I can go down together."

"You can even drive the boat if you want, Uncle Gadget." Penny grew a cunning smile. "That way you can watch out for sharks or anything unusual."

"Yes," Gadget nodded. "Yes, I could. Um, yes, it sounds like a good idea. All right, I'll rent a boat and some equipment. But be careful down there, Penny."

"I promise, Uncle Gadget," Penny smirked. She glanced at the amazed look on Atsuko's face while Brain just shook his head in admiration.

* * *

The tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean off the shore of Okinawa were a crystal blue. It was a deeper blue than that of the sky above them, a sky dotted with only a few clouds. The morning air was a warm 78 degrees, a perfect day for boating. This was why there were so many craft on the waters.

Inspector Gadget had rented a cabin cruiser in Naha. Initially perplexed as to how to head to the spot named in the report, the inspector was saved when Penny "innocently" suggested a location. Gadget headed south from the China Sea into the Pacific. Penny offered to steer, but Gadget insisted he had everything under control. After the first near collision with a yacht,Penny had Brain stand guard in the wheel house and give the wheel a jerk whenever her uncle came too close to anyone. Penny and Atsuko went to change. Both girls emerged on deck minutes later, their efforts spurred by the excitement of anticipation.

"Well, somebody was prepared," remarked Atsuko with a raised eyebrow.

Penny had on a blue scuba suit modified for the warm climate. The upper portion had long sleeves and a high collar, with a yellow piece down her chest vertically dividing the blue. The bottom was a solid blue and bared her midriff and most of her legs. The suit fit like a second skin and the nylon material gleamed in the sun.

"And I guess somebody wasn't," Penny smiled mischievously.

Atsuko wore only a dark green clingy nylon one-piece swimsuit with a scooped back. She frowned at her friend.

"Well somebody could have let somebody know ahead of time so somebody could be prepared," Atsuko huffed. Penny's lips pursed to keep from laughing. The expression began working on Atsuko and in moments the two girls were giggling at each other.

"So why are you so hot to go diving?" Atsuko asked.

"It's just like I said. This area has some very interesting marine life," Penny replied.

"Like oddly behaving sharks, perhaps?"

Penny's eyes glanced skyward.

"Do you believe there's something to that report?" asked Atsuko.

"How do you know about the report? Only Uncle Gadget and I have seen it," Penny inquired.

"I have my sources," Atsuko replied smugly. "You know, the report didn't get into specifics about what kind of behavior the sharks were exhibiting. And behavior could be influenced by anything from environmental conditions to mating season. Just because the guy was a fisherman doesn't make him an expert on sharks."

"All true," Penny nodded as she checked the breathing tank she was going to wear.

"Yet you're going to go shark hunting based on that?"

"Not on your life! The last thing I want to meet down there is a shark," Penny exclaimed. "I just want to observe. Maybe take a few readings with the remote link to my computer book. If there are sub-aquatic conditions that might be likely to alter behavior patterns in fish, I'll be satisfied. But if there is something more, I want to know about it before Uncle Gadget stumbles into it."

"Got it," Atsuko nodded. Then she grew a wicked smile. "You really know how to treat a girl to a fun vacation."

Penny playfully nudged her friend with her shoulder.

Eighty miles out from Okinawa the cruiser stopped. Though her uncle conspicuously avoided mentioning it, Penny and Atsuko both knew this was the spot the fisherman's report said he'd sighted the unusual sharks. Penny didn't say anything because this was exactly where she wanted to dive. Before dropping anchor, Gadget tied a yellow plastic pennant to the anchor chain.

"Why are you doing that, Uncle Gadget?" Penny asked. She knew why, but it was part of her pretense to fool her uncle into believing she wasn't twice as smart as he was.

"Safe diving practices, Penny," Gadget replied with a superior tone. "When you dive, you can use the anchor as a point of reference to lead you back to the boat. That way you won't get lost. And the yellow pennant marks the anchor and makes it easier to see under the water." Gadget stuffed his hands into his coat and began walking haughtily to the stern of the boat. "The water can be very dangerous, Penny. You have to use caution at all times."

However, Gadget had reached the edge of the deck without noticing the railing. Continuing forward, he stepped against the railing, lost his balance and fell face first into the ocean.

"UNCLE GADGET!" cried Penny. Brain and Atsuko flew to the rail of the boat.

"Go Go Gadget Coat!" Gadget shouted, pulling the button on his coat. The coat inflated and the inspector was quickly bobbing on the ocean like a rubber raft. "I'm fine, Penny. Just remember, caution at all times."

Once Gadget was back aboard, Penny and Atsuko donned their diving gear. Brain made one last silent appeal to come with her, but Penny shook her head. She wanted him with her uncle so he wouldn't get into trouble. Gadget was already surveying the area with his gadget binoculars. The two girls stepped to the ladder on the side of the cruiser and began to climb into the ocean. Penny paused just above it, pulling the hair bands from her golden hair and shaking her twin ponytails loose. The ponytails would be added resistance in the water and she could swim more freely without them.

"We're going now, Uncle Gadget," she called.

"Have fun, Penny," Gadget replied, keeping his eyes glued on the ocean ahead. "And remember - - caution at all times."

Taking the breathing regulator into her mouth, Penny pulled her mask down and hopped from the ladder into the ocean. Once in the water, it was like entering a different world. Her hearing was muted by the water, but other senses were augmented. She didn't hear Atsuko enter the water so much as feel her, the ripples of her entry impacting against Penny's body. When Atsuko got oriented and looked to Penny, the blonde girl pointed to the direction she wanted to explore. Atsuko nodded and the pair swam off.

While it hadn't been her primary goal regardless of what she'd told her uncle, the ocean off Okinawa was filled with a stunning variety of tropical fish. Aided by the clear water, Penny and Atsuko both found themselves repeatedly distracted by the sea life, their exotic shapes and brilliant coloring. As she swam, Penny found herself wishing that she wasn't here on business and could devote her full attention to the visual wonders of the area.

But there was work to be done. While maintaining forward progress with the kick of her fins, Penny brought her wrist link to her computer book up to her face. Engaging the link's sensor array, Penny began to study the results as the sensors gauged temperature, current, water pressure and the chemical composition of the water. So far nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Penny kept swimming, confident Atsuko was by her side, while concentrating on the readouts from her computer link.

Atsuko's hand squeezed Penny's upper arm. Alerted by this, Penny turned. Brushing her swirling blonde hair out of her face, Penny was directed by Atsuko's pointing finger. A shipwreck lay on the bottom of the ocean about one hundred fifty yards from them. It was partially obscured by a rock formation. Penny nodded to Atsuko and the pair ventured down toward the wreck. As they neared the area, both girls could make out the shadowy wreck more clearly. It was a World War II era U.S. Navy destroyer, probably sunk during the American assault on Okinawa in 1945. Closer inspection revealed the name on the bow of the ship: The USS Kenneth Whiting. Penny scanned the name and registry number of the ship. The Kenneth Whiting had existed and was assigned to the South Pacific fleet in 1945.

Then she felt another tug on her arm. Shaking away her swirling blonde hair, Penny looked to Atsuko. Her friend pointed to an area near the stern of the ship. A mako shark was gliding around the area. It didn't seem to be searching for anything and didn't seem to be aware of their presence. Just the same, Atsuko gestured for them to give ground and Penny readily agreed.

The two girls retreated to a distance of three hundred yards. At that point, Penny turned and looked back at the shark. It was still circling lazily around the stern of the Kenneth Whiting. Penny was about to dismiss it as a lucky break for them- - then she looked again. The shark seemed to be swimming aimlessly in a concentrated spot- - almost as if it were guarding something. And if one applied that conclusion to the shark's behavior, then it was no longer aimless swimming. It was swimming with a purpose that sharks had no business having.

Which certainly qualified as unusual behavior.

Penny was so wrapped up in this train of thought that she was startled by Atsuko's hand on her arm. Looking to her friend, she found Atsuko gesturing to their air gauges, then to the surface. Glancing at the gauge, Penny realized they'd run out of time and had to surface before their air supply got to a critical spot. Nodding, she and Atsuko went through the necessary surfacing procedure to safely ascend from the depth they were in.

As they surfaced, Penny sought out the anchor with the yellow pennant on it. At first she didn't spot it and concern began to well up within her young mind. Finally she spotted it. They were about three hundred and fifty yards from the cruiser. Breaking the surface, both girls spotted the cruiser. Brain was perched on the rail and became quite agitated from his relief in seeing them again. Inspector Gadget was at the bow, his neck extended fifteen feet and his head under the surface of the water, searching beneath the ocean with his Gadget binoculars.

"Looks like we missed our surfacing spot," Atsuko panted after removing the regulator from her mouth.

"It's my fault," Penny replied. "I got so wrapped up in the wreck that I forgot about the time. Guess we'll have to swim for it."

"I'm going to be hurting tonight," Atsuko said ruefully. The two girls began swimming for the cruiser.

That evening, after returning to Naha and getting a hot meal, Penny hunkered down in her room at the inn they were staying at. Brain lay in a corner of the room, watching Penny dressed in her pink pajamas study the sensor data on her computer book. Atsuko entered, her torso wrapped in a thick white towel while she dried her long black hair with another. Though they both showered after reaching port to remove the salt water from their skin and hair, Atsuko insisted on bathing again before going to bed.

"Did you get clean enough?" Penny said, a trace of needling sarcasm in her voice. Her eyes remained glued to her computer book.

"I'm Japanese," Atsuko grinned. "My people can never be too clean." The girl walked over to her friend and peered over her shoulder. "There doesn't seem to be anything unusual in those numbers- - except for a high sediment count."

"Yes," Penny replied absently.

"Which doesn't explain the odd behavior of that mako shark," Atsuko continued. Upon the mention of the word 'shark', Brain's ears perked up.

"You noticed that, too?" Penny asked. "Then it wasn't just me. At first glance it's just a shark swimming aimlessly."

"Yes, but the more you watch it, the more it seems like the shark is performing sentry duty," Atsuko nodded. "Putting aside the fact that its unusual behavior for a shark, what could it be guarding? Do you suppose there's something unusual on that destroyer?"

"It's worth looking into," Penny said.

Her fingers danced over the keys of her computer book. Moments later a full history of the USS Kenneth Whiting came up on the screen. Penny spent a few seconds reading it, then let out a soft gasp.

"Let me guess," Atsuko ventured. "The Kenneth Whiting was carrying a secret prototype atomic warhead or something?"

"No," Penny said, then turned intently to Atsuko. "The Kenneth Whiting was never sunk."

"What?"

"According to these records, the Kenneth Whiting was never even in the battle of Okinawa."

"Then what's on the ocean floor down there?"

"I don't know," Penny frowned. "But I'm going down tomorrow to find out"

* * *

"Exploring again?" Inspector Gadget asked as he piloted the cruiser back to the same spot they were at the previous day. It hadn't been difficult to convince him to return, as that was "his only lead to Dr. Claw" and they both knew it. Convincing him to let them go diving again was a little trickier.

"Well, we had to come up yesterday before we were finished," Penny explained. "That's why we brought extra tanks this time."

"Doesn't that assume that I'm going to let you go diving?" Gadget posed. Penny stared impatiently at him. "What's down there that you can't see in an aquarium?"

"Well," Penny began reluctantly. When she saw no other way, she continued. "We found a shipwreck down there. It's an old World War II destroyer. We didn't get a chance to look all of it over - - and I'd like to get some pictures of it."

"Shipwrecks can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, Penny," Gadget warned. "A wreck that old can have rusted spots that could collapse if disturbed, or sea creatures living inside them that might attack if they're spooked. Not to mention that you could cut yourself on jagged edges. And there could be unexploded shells inside of that ship. It's very dangerous, Penny." Brain jerked the wheel so the cruiser would avoid a buoy. "Brain, stop that! I told you I don't have time to play tug-of-war!"

"We weren't going in it, Uncle Gadget," Penny said and hoped to be forgiven if it turned out to be a lie. "We just want to look at it closely. Atsuko and I both know all about safe diving. We'll be all right."

Gadget looked down at her.

"All right, Penny," he said. "But try to wrap things up today. We're missing other clues, um, I mean sites."

"Yes, Uncle Gadget," Penny smiled, glancing conspiratorially at Atsuko.

Off on the stern preparing their diving gear, Atsuko turned to Penny.

"Now that your uncle is taken care of, what if we run into that sentry shark again?" Atsuko asked.

"I've got an idea on that," Penny said as she pulled her ponytails loose again. "My computer link can transmit an underwater sonic vibration that supposedly can drive off a shark."

"Supposedly?" Atsuko queried.

"Well I only tested it once and that was at the aquarium in Metro City," Penny explained, "and I wasn't actually in the water. But it did work and I'm confident in the theory."

"I'll try to remember that when that shark is munching on my leg," Atsuko grimaced.

"If you don't want to go . . ." Penny began.

"Your uncle wouldn't let you dive without me," Atsuko replied. Then she picked up a metal rod and stuffed it in her weight belt. "I hope I'm not going to need this."

Fifteen minutes later, Penny and Atsuko were swimming down to the wreck of the supposed Kenneth Whiting. As they neared the rock formation, the bow was unchanged from the previous day - - except that there were two mako sharks swimming sentry duty now. Penny and Atsuko exchanged alarmed glances.

Easing up to the rocks, the pair peered down to look at the stern. There were now two sharks swimming around the stern. As they observed the sharks, they saw one from each pair peel off and swim the length of the ship towards each other. They met above the conning tower, passed each other without acknowledgment and joined the other sentry at the opposite end of the ship. Penny noted the time and waited. When the same behavior occurred, she glanced back at the time. Ten minutes had passed exactly - - again unnatural precision for a shark.

Notifying Atsuko through signing of her intent, Penny brought her wrist link up. Pressing a stud, they both felt subtle rippling in the water. Instantly all the fish that were around them scattered. The sharks, though, seemed initially unaffected.

Rising from cover, Penny ventured out into the valley of the rock formation, continuing to transmit as she swam. Atsuko grabbed for her to pull her back, but missed. After a few tense moments of indecision, the Japanese girl swam after her friend. Closer and closer the two girls swam, their movements seemingly unnoticed by the shark sentries. Penny began to wonder if something was controlling the sharks, forcing them to behave in the manner they did. Neither her suit nor Atsuko's would offer much protection if the sharks suddenly turned on them and they were nearing fifty yards away from the conning tower. Normally mako sharks wouldn't attack a human unless in a feeding frenzy or trapped, but notions of normal behavior didn't seem to apply here.

Suddenly the sharks stopped. Penny and Atsuko stopped as well, their blood freezing in their veins. The sharks seemed to drift downward in the water for a moment. Penny swallowed with difficulty.

Then just as suddenly the sharks swam off, their path obscured by the wreck. Penny and Atsuko exchanged puzzled looks. Penny gestured to her wrist link inquiringly. Atsuko shrugged.

Not one to overlook an opportunity, Penny quickly swam over to the conning tower. Atsuko drifted down to the deck, her black hair billowing behind her in the water. She hovered just above the surface of the deck and looked. She could see rust at the joints of the metal plating of the deck and the outer hull. That was consistent with being in the water for over sixty years. And yet this ship shouldn't be here according to the records Penny found. Atsuko looked again at the rust on the plates. Curious, she reached down and touched the rust. Part of the red rust flaked off into the water and Atsuko caught it with her hand. She stared down at it.

"This isn't rust," she thought. "It's fake. Some sort of artificial rust. It must have been put here to make this hull look sixty years old." Atsuko's gaze went down the length of the wreck. "Is the whole wreck a fake? Why? Camouflage?"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw it. A large shadow of a shape speeding at her. Atsuko turned to the side and one of the mako sharks glided by her. Seized by irrational panic, Atsuko fled the ship and swam about twenty yards. Turning, she searched for the shark again,her hand closing on the short metal rod tucked in her belt. The shark was turning to make another run at her. Giving herself a few moments, Atsuko searched for Penny.

The conning tower was deserted. Where was Penny?

With no more time left to her, Atsuko focused back on the shark heading for her. It was definitely coming for her. Kicking her legs, Atsuko gave ground until the shark was practically upon her. At the last instance she spun to the side and brought the blunt metal rod down on the shark's nose. It continued on as if she hadn't struck, lunging past her. Knowing how vulnerable she was, Atsuko turned and fled for the rock outcropping as fast as she could swim. Glancing over her shoulder, the girl saw the shark turning to make another run at her. Pumping her legs, Atsuko gunned for the protection of the rocks. Within five feet of them, though, her brain had calculated she wouldn't make it. Turning to fend off another attack, the rod brought to bear,Atsuko searched for the shark.

It should have been practically on top of her. Instead she found it swimming back to the wreck of the Kenneth Whiting. Her limbs weak from the adrenaline surge, gasping in air from the tank on her back, Atsuko puzzled over what happened.

"It's," she tried to conclude, "it's like the shark has a - - defensive sphere. Once I was out of range, it ignored me."

Atsuko looked back at the conning tower for some trace of Penny. Instead she found two of the sharks swimming around it.

"Did the sharks get Penny?" Atsuko wondered, her brain revolting at the very notion.

Venturing forward tremulously, Atsuko headed for the conning tower. However, within fifty yards of it, the sharks turned and advanced on her. Backtracking, Atsuko noted that the sharks returned to their routine. Kept at bay by the sharks' defensive sphere, Atsuko frantically searched for Penny from a distance. The longer it took, the more fearful she grew. There was no trace.

Finally the alarm went off, telling Atsuko that she was running low on air. She stared down helplessly at the ship, knowing that if she left now there was a good chance that she was leaving her friend to a watery grave.

"If she's not already dead," Atsuko thought, her lips quivering around the regulator in her mouth.

With no other choice, Atsuko began to ascend to the surface.

* * *

One moment Penny was examining the conning tower of the supposed wreck. Up close, it seemed unreal. Bringing her computer link to bear, she put the anti-shark signal on hold just long enough to do a quick scan of the hull. The readout came up quickly.

"This steel hasn't undergone sixty years of oxidation," Penny realized from the numbers. "It's a fake!"

Her hands locked onto the hatch wheel and she threw her weight against it to try to open it. As she suspected, the wheel turned much too easily for metal that had endured sixty years of submersion and a battle before that. As she pulled the hatch open, Penny glanced back at Atsuko to signal her.

In that instance, hands shot out and seized the girl. Startled, Penny could offer no resistance against being dragged into the hatch. Two black shapes loomed over her. One held her effortlessly despite her squirming to get free while the other pulled the hatch closed. When the door closed, a light came on inside the tower. Penny saw the shapes were men in black scuba suits and gear, while the conning tower was a blind for an airlock that could be flooded or drained as needed.

"Don't tell me Uncle Gadget was right after all!" Penny thought.

She didn't want to find out this way. As the water began to drain from the airlock, Penny took a chance. Seeing she was being held off the floor by her captor, Penny swung her heel back savagely. It connected with the target she was aiming for. Her captor crumpled and his grip released. Penny sprang for the hatch.

However she only got her hands on it before she was seized by her ankles and pulled away. The other man held her upside down by her ankles as the water continued to drain. Penny swung at him, but her shorter arms couldn't reach and no matter how she thrashed, she couldn't break the grip on her legs. By the time the airlock completely drained, the other man was back on his feet. Penny's arms were roughly jerked behind her back. She was forced to the floor and the weight of the man leaned on her tank, pinning her down, while the other man opened the floor hatch. He climbed down a ladder to a lower compartment as Penny struggled in futility. Once down, he reached up and took the wriggling girl from his partner, while another man from below moved to help restrain her.

As the other man climbed down the ladder, Penny felt her wrists being tightly bound behind the tank on her back. The extra distance painfully distended her shoulders and gave her less slack with the ropes around her wrists. She resisted as best she could, but could do nothing to prevent it. While this happened, the soft hiss of rubber soled deck shoes scuffing along the floor approached. Penny, bent forward by her captors, strained to look up.

"This is our intruder?" a woman asked. "She's younger than I thought."

Before Penny was an adult woman of about thirty. She was slim, yet shapely, as evidenced by the clingy yellow and black long-sleeved diving top and thigh length bottom. It was covered by a white cotton jacket. Her hair was jet black and cut just below the ears, though it was thick and feminine on top. Her face was comely, with deep violet eyes, still soft skin, pert nose and ruby mouth. She could have been glamorous if she tried, but it looked to be the furthest thing from her mind.

Penny gurgled a retort that was muffled by the regulator she was unable to work from her mouth. The woman bent down and pulled it free, the took the diving mask from the girl's face.

"Why did your men grab me?" Penny demanded. "Why did they tie me up?"

"Why are you and your friend snooping around an old shipwreck?" the woman countered.

"What friend?" Penny replied, trying to cover Atsuko's presence.

The woman gestured to an electronic monitor. On it were surveillance camera pictures of the outside hull of the wreck.

"You were observed, little girl," the woman stated very seriously. She was clearly unamused by deceit. "You would have been shark bait if something hadn't jammed the transmission to my robot sentries."

"Those are robotic sharks?" Penny thought to herself, though her amazement was clear on her face. She glanced around for some telltale sign to see if this was a M.A.D. operation or some independent force.

"Hopefully they got your friend," the woman replied. Penny's heart filled with dread, but she tried to remain calm.

"What are you going to do with me?" Penny demanded. "Torture me for information?"

"I really don't need to know why you're here," the woman replied icily. "I just need to know that you're not a threat." She turned to the men in diving suits holding Penny. "Kill her. Throw her in the airlock and flood it. That way it'll look like a diving accident."

Feeling their grip tighten around her arms, Penny began struggling to slip the ropes around her wrists. Even if she managed to get the regulator back in her mouth, her air supply was limited. Unless she could slip the ropes on her wrists, she was just prolonging the inevitable.

"Not so fast, Dr. Nereus," came a low, guttural voice that Penny recognized only too well. "This isn't just any child."

Penny turned her head. One of the monitors had a new display. On it was a gray high back chair with the M.A.D. insignia on it. It sat before an array of monitors and input keys. Resting on one of the armrests was a gray spiked metallic gauntlet. Penny didn't have to see or hear anymore. She knew who it was.

"And how is your dear uncle, child?" Dr. Claw asked.

"You know this girl?" Dr. Nereus asked.

"We've met," Claw replied. "She's the niece of Inspector Gadget."

"Gadget?" Nereus gasped. "Here?"

"Apparently your concealment isn't as foolproof as you imagined, Dr. Nereus."

"What are you planning, Dr. Claw?" Penny demanded. The time for pretense was past.

"Just seeking to do a good deed as a citizen of the world," Claw replied. "This is Dr. Dorothy Nereus."

"One of the leading scientists on geology in the world," Penny thought even as Claw explained it. "What's she doing mixed up with M.A.D.?"

"Dr. Nereus has a wonderful little theory about spectacular caches of precious mineral deposits along the planet's tectonic fault lines. She thinks that those fault lines can be mined through high intensity laser emissions. Since that would result in a bounty of precious minerals the world has never seen, I've - - underwritten her experiments."

Penny stared, mouth open, at nothing while her brain processed this.

"Of course such a large introduction of energy could possibly result in a - - release of that energy," Claw continued.

"Earthquakes?" Penny asked. "You could set off a chain reaction of earthquakes along the Pacific shelf!"

"With Japan the hardest hit," Dr. Claw said, then chuckled to himself. "But being a Samaritan, I would be more than happy to put a stop to it in time. Naturally there would be - - expenses that would need compensation. At which point I'll just move up the coast to Russia- -  
or down to Australia. I haven't decided yet. After all, I don't want to stand in the way of scientific progress, do I? But by the time I run out of coastlines, one way or the other I'll be a very wealthy - - Samaritan."

The world seemed to swirl around Penny. She had to find a way to stop him. Reasoning with him would be futile, so she didn't even try. Instead her brain set to work on her escape.

"Dr. Claw," Dr. Nereus spoke up. "Did you have to reveal the operation to her? Now she needs to be silenced more than ever"  
"She needs," Claw responded with controlled fury, "only to be restrained. No doubt Gadget is prowling around somewhere. If your men spot him, he is to be eliminated immediately. But should he elude your efforts- - as this girl did- - she will make a very valuable hostage."

"But . . .!" Nereus persisted.

"SEE TO IT!" Claw bellowed.

Nereus' jaw tightened. After a moment, she turned to her men.

"Tie her up and lock her in a storage closet," Dr. Nereus told them. "Make sure the room is empty - - and make sure she's tied up tight."

Nereus and Penny exchanged venomous glares for a moment. Then Penny was hustled off by her guards.

* * *

Atsuko cast a melancholy eye toward the ocean.

It had been an hour since Inspector Gadget had gone. When she surfaced alone, he immediately questioned her about Penny's whereabouts. Giving him an edited version of the truth was all the inspector needed to act. The man instantly dove over the side, engaging a telescoping pipe from one of his fingers and, breathing through the thumb of his hand, used the pipe as a makeshift snorkel. Atsuko didn't doubt his heart or courage, or his desire to rescue Penny. She did doubt his sense of direction and, spotting the snorkel heading two points south of the wreck, was proven right.

The moment Gadget was gone, Brain donned diving gear and went in to save his mistress. Atsuko didn't try to stop him. He wouldn't have listened even if he could understand her. And maybe he could succeed where she had failed.

Now that the wave of fear from facing the sharks had passed, Atsuko was able to think clearly. It was obvious that the "wreck" was camouflage. But for what? An underwater base of some sort, obviously. No doubt Penny had been captured and taken below the wreck. She couldn't have been victimized by the sharks. There was no blood in the water. The only way she was dead was if she'd taken refuge from the sharks and couldn't surface before her air ran out.

And Atsuko just wouldn't consider that possibility until she had no choice.

So while she waited on board ship for her body to recover enough to go down again, Atsuko planned her assault on the wreck. A spear gun was by the desk with a deadly harpoon. She would use it on one of the sharks, killing it if she could. Regardless, the blood in the water would send the other sharks into a frenzy and she could make her way to the wreck in the confusion. The conning tower was her only known way in, so she would use it to sneak aboard. Once inside, she could reconnoiter, discover what the plot was and if there was a way to stop it, where Penny was and how she could be rescued, then act.

It was a dangerous plan, but the only one she had to work with. And one didn't shy away from danger. That wasn't bushido.

Atsuko took a last look at the ocean, hoping to spot either Inspector Gadget or Brain. She would take any help she could get, but none seemed to appear. There was no time left to wait. If she had to go it alone, so be it. The girl turned.

And found two men in black diving suits creeping up on her. One lunged and before she could avoid him a gloved hand clamped over her mouth, pinning her against the wall of the cabin. A diver's dagger pressed to her throat.

"Is this her?" one assailant said to the other while Atsuko struggled to keep her body from quivering.

"Yeah," the other one nodded. "I recognize the bathing suit."

"No one else is aboard. Do we kill her?"

Atsuko tensed.

"No. They may want this one alive, too."

Amid her fear, Atsuko realized that they were saying Penny was still alive. A flicker of hope flowered in her chest. Then the dagger pulled away from her throat. Atsuko had little time to rejoice. She was pulled from against the wall and shoved around. Her arm was pulled painfully behind her back and a hand grasped her thick black hair, dragging her head back.

"Get into your gear, girl," her captor hissed as Atsuko was hustled into the cabin.

Forced to kneel, Atsuko donned a tank, her mask and fins while the dagger hung over the back of her neck and the other man loomed menacingly in front of her. Once she was in gear, her arms were pulled behind the tank and her wrists bound together. The regulator was forced into her mouth and her mask put in place. Dragged to her feet, Atsuko was hustled to the rail of the cruiser. With one man holding each of her upper arms, Atsuko and the two men jumped in together.

The empty cruiser bobbed on the water like a buoy.

As the trio neared the phony wreck, two of the sentry sharks began an approach as if to attack. Atsuko observed one of her captors pull out a small sonic device and aim it at them. When he pressed a stud on the device, the sharks instantly veered off. Circling lazily back to their positions, each shark resumed its sentry duty.

"Is it possible?" Atsuko thought, staring at the sonic device. "Are these sharks being controlled by some sonic-based device?" Atsuko pondered this for a few moments. "And Penny must have accidentally stumbled onto the frequency with her 'shark repeller'."

The trio descended to the conning tower hatch and entered the airlock. Atsuko tugged at her wrists once again, but she still couldn't slip the ropes binding them. There wasn't even enough slack to bring the razor blade she kept under her fingernail into play, thanks to her wrists being drawn tight against her tank. Once the airlock was drained, the hatch was opened and the squirming Japanese girl was handed down into the complex.

"Eight hours and forty-three minutes until laser initiation," Atsuko heard a technician say.

She looked around, marveling at the sophisticated electronic and computer equipment in this underwater lab. A woman with short black hair, wearing a jacket over a black and gold diving suit with cut-off legs, turned to her. She walked over to them with a deliberate, superior pace. Atsuko couldn't shake the feeling she recognized the woman from somewhere.

"The other diver, Dr. Nereus," one of the divers announced. Atsuko's eyes widened. Dr. Dorothy Nereus?

"And you brought her here?" Dr. Nereus scowled, openly questioning the man. "It's as if you people are actively trying to compromise this operation!"

"Well, we didn't know if, um," the diver hesitated, "'the man upstairs' wanted her alive, too."

Nereus did a slow burn.

"Tie her up and throw her in with the other one," the doctor sighed, turning dismissively from them. "At least he's letting us kill Gadget."

Atsuko was about to say something, but she didn't get the chance. A cloth was shoved into her mouth and another tied covering it to hold in the packing. The two men hustled her off.

* * *

Penny squirmed in the darkness, but made no headway. Tiring, she leaned back as far as the tank would let her and reassessed the situation.

Her wrists were still tied behind her back across the tank on her back. Rope had been drawn across her chest, over her upper arms and between her back and the tank, further anchoring her to it. Her legs were fused together with cord tied at the knee and ankle. Between the rope and the tank on her back, she was practically anchored to the spot. Wadded cloth filled her mouth and another was tied over her mouth to keep her silent - - not that anyone would have helped her if she could call out. She knew she had to get free. This was a race against time, for Japan, for her Uncle Gadget, Brain and Atsuko on the cruiser floating in the path of a potential tsunami that the earthquakes would certainly kick up - - and for herself as well. She had no illusions about what Dr. Claw would do to her once she was no longer useful as a hostage against her uncle. She had to get free.

But how? All her efforts were hampered by the weight of the tank, the restriction of the cords and her own growing fatigue. Perhaps Brain or Atsuko would find her in time like they had in the past, but she couldn't depend on that. She had to escape on her own.

"Mnnnngh," she moaned as her renewed efforts resulted only in failure and chafed wrists.

As she worked, she mentally speculated over why the famous Dr. Nereus was working for M.A.D.? Did Dr. Claw have some hold over her? Was she just doing it for money? Or was the lure of scientific vindication so strong that she was willing to sacrifice her very humanity to accomplish it? Penny hoped it was the first one, if only to keep at bay the feeling of betrayal within her that someone so brilliant could be corruptible. The evidence, though, pointed to a reason other than the first.

Penny was in the midst of trying to writhe her young body out of the ropes that held her prisoner when she heard footsteps approaching. The girl froze, listening intently. The heavy footfalls were clearly adult males, possibly the two scuba goons who tied her up and threw her in this empty storage closet. Penny wondered why they had returned. Had Dr. Nereus ordered she be brought to her? Or perhaps Dr. Claw no longer needed her. Penny nervously twisted in the grip of her ropes, but once more freedom didn't come.

The hatch opened. Light spilled into the darkened closet. Penny squealed into her gag in alarm, a squeal matched by the equally bound and gagged Atsuko. Penny's spirits fell as her friend was thrust roughly into a sitting position. One guard held her down by her shoulders while the other quickly bound her legs at the knee and ankle.

They rose with disdain and left. The door closed behind them, shutting on Atsuko's muffled appeal. Alone in the darkened closet, the two friends gazed at each other with dwindling hopes.

* * *

Brain climbed aboard the ship and immediately realized there was trouble. Atsuko was gone. A quick investigation revealed her diving gear was missing, too. The canine would have assumed she went searching for Penny, which he planned to resume after he switched tanks and rested up. However, his nose caught the scents of two strangers. His eyes narrowed and a guttural growl emanated from his throat.

The canine walked over to Penny's computer book, still sitting on the table in the ship's cabin. It was still active, patiently waiting for another communication from Penny. Brain could see that none was forthcoming. He wished he knew how to operate it. Perhaps he could track Penny if he did.

But he didn't. He could only wait and search- - as long as it took.

* * *

"There doesn't seem to be any sign of the wreck at all," Inspector Gadget thought as he continued to swim south of the wreck's position. "Obviously Dr. Claw has been alerted that we're on to him and moved his secret base. I just pray Penny's all right and can hold on until I deduce where he's moved to."

Diving down while extending his finger-snorkel, Gadget reached the bottom of the Pacific and began looking for clues. To aid him, his magnifying glass extended from his head and came into position near his eye. With his feet resting on the sandy bottom, Gadget stuffed his free hand into his pocket and began walking. He was so engrossed in searching the bottom of the ocean for clues that he failed to see the manta ray that had buried itself in the sandy bottom. When he stepped on it, the manta shot forward from concealment.

"What a remarkable disguise!" Gadget thought. "But no M.A.D. agent escapes from Inspector Gadget!"

Whipping his arm up, Gadget shot his handcuff from its wrist bay. The cuff sped through the water and latched onto the twenty foot manta's tail.

"Wow-sers!" Gadget thought as the manta effortlessly jerked him off his feet and pulled him through the ocean like a runaway stallion.

While Gadget doggedly clung to the manta, the manta could see the strange human was still pursuing it. Moreover it could still feel the handcuff locked around its tail. Being a simple creature, it naturally assumed that Gadget was attacking and continued to bob and weave through the water, buffeting the inspector against rock out-croppings and the ocean floor itself. But no matter how fast or evasively it swam, the manta couldn't shake its strange companion.

* * *

Atsuko felt the bite of the cords in her chafed wrists when she once again tried to reach back with her fingers. A sigh of despair expelled out her nose and over her gag. If only the tank weren't between her and her wrists. She'd been studying escape tactics in her spare time, a handy talent to have in her line of work. She knew what to try, if she could reach. But her fingers were too stubby. Then she heard a skid of metal on the floor. Atsuko glanced over at Penny.

Was she closer?

Atsuko shook her head, her black hair still plastered to her skull. There was no way to move with these tanks strapped on. Their weight hampered their thrashing. Their mass countered any leverage they might have. They may as well have been tied to anchors.

The sound came again. Atsuko looked over to Penny. She was definitely closer. The Japanese girl stared at her friend and after a few moments was rewarded. She saw Penny hunch her tiny shoulders and then fling her entire body up. The motion was thwarted by the ropes that bound her, but she managed enough momentum to nudge herself just a little closer to Atsuko. The young blonde gathered her strength for a few moments, then flung herself again. She was inching herself closer to Atsuko. But why?

Noticing Atsuko's attention was on her, Penny began bobbing her head up and down at an angle. At first Atsuko was puzzled by what Penny was doing. Penny murfed her frustration through her thick gag and repeated the gesture. Atsuko stared intently, but in confusion.

"MMMMPH!" Atsuko gasped. Penny wasn't bobbing her head. She was making a circular motion with her nose. She wanted Atsuko to turn around. Once that was deduced, the rest fell into place. Penny wanted them back to back so one of them could work on the knots binding the other's wrists. If worse came to worse, Atsuko could always saw Penny's ropes with the razorblade under her fingernail.

Immediately Atsuko began imitating Penny's sudden, violent thrusts. She felt herself move along the floor. It wasn't much and it was an arduous effort. Perhaps, Atsuko reasoned, if she pushed out with her heels as she lunged, she could use her legs to propel herself further. She tried it and was pleased with the success. After two more such lunges, Atsuko's fingers brushed up against Penny's. A small scoot brought the girl within reach.

Before Atsuko could act, Penny began feeling around the rope binding Atsuko's wrists. Atsuko held herself still and let Penny work. It was hard to do. Just the little effort of scooting themselves back to back had Atsuko breathing hard into her gag. Between the diving and the constant sapping exertion of being bound was draining the girl. But when she felt Penny's fingers find the knot holding her wrists bound and began picking at it, hope began to flower in Atsuko's chest. The possibility of escape buoyed her spirits.

But could they escape in time?

* * *

"I still don't see why we don't just kill them both," Dr. Nereus tossed over her shoulder as she studied a panel of energy readouts.

"Because I don't wish it, Doctor," came the deep, breathy reply of Dr. Claw. He was on video link with the underwater base checking on her progress- - again. For an international genius criminal, Dr. Nereus found him annoyingly impatient.

"It isn't logical," Nereus snapped, for she was used to getting her way.

"Neither is throwing away an international reputation as a geological scholar simply to prove a point," Claw replied with an undertone of derision. Nereus' jaw clenched.

"My process is functional," Dr. Nereus replied thinly.

"I believe you. I wouldn't have funded you if I hadn't. And when we have storehouses of mineral wealth to rival those of the United States itself, those in the scientific community who doubted you will be the ones considered- - unworthy."

"Yes," the woman said, savoring the thought with grim satisfaction. Then her euphoria dampened suddenly. "Plus the ransom Japan and the other countries will pay to be 'protected' from the earthquakes."

"A bonus for our efforts," Dr. Claw replied.

"It won't happen," Nereus said suddenly, a brittle edge to her voice. "My process is safe. I've taken the possibility of tectonic disruption into account. The flaws they pointed out were just professional jealousy!"

"Of course, Doctor," Claw said with a velvet hiss. "Let them pay for their folly with cash."

"You're not concerned with agents from one of the threatened countries?" she asked. "If they manage to stop my process . . .!"

"I fear no one. The only one who concerns me is- - Gadget. His- - unpredictability can't be planned for. But he can be kept at bay with his niece in my control. So you see, my dear, Dr. Claw knows best." He paused to savor that statement. "Now how much longer until sufficient laser build up is achieved?"

"As I said before," Dr. Nereus replied, allowing her annoyance to show through, "the event is projected for two forty-four pm my time. That gives us two hours and twelve minutes."

"There's no way to . . .?"

"No. There is no way to speed it up."

Claw sighed. "The anticipation is the hardest part"

* * *

Brain was in the process of donning another tank. Suddenly his collar communication device engaged.

"Brain?" he heard Penny say and the canine's heart lept.

"Rowf!" he replied excitedly.

"Brain, I don't have much time! Atsuko's with me. We're in a secret lab under the wreck. It's camouflage for the base. Dr. Claw's tampering with the continental fault lines! He's bound to launch massive earthquakes toward Japan! Possibly the rest of Asia, too! I don't know how long we have! Notify Chief Quimby and the Japanese Coast Guard! Then get Uncle Gadget and get down here! But be careful of the robot sharks! Use an underwater sonic projector set at 263 kh to drive them off! We'll try to sabotage things down here!"

"Rowf!" Brain replied and the connection was severed on Penny's end. Instantly Brain ran to the wheelhouse of the cruiser and began tapping out a morse code message to the Japanese Coast Guard. His elation over Penny being alive ran underneath his actions. He was relieved, but duty came first.

If only he knew where Inspector Gadget was.

* * *

"Why this way, Atsuko?" Penny whispered as the pair skulked down a corridor.

The girls were barefoot and clad only in the diving clothes they'd worn down here. Their tanks, fins and masks were stored in their former prison where they could be retrieved quickly if they were successful. At the moment they were searching for the base power plant, hoping to sabotage the laser pouring energy into the geographic fault line before it built to critical mass and produced an earthquake. Each girl was unarmed amid a complex filled with guards. They pressed against the wall of the corridor, clinging to shadows in hopes of staving off recapture long enough to complete their intended mission.

"Because the control room is that way, Penny-chan," Atsuko whispered back, keeping her eyes glued forward. "Logically the control room would be at the furthest point from the power plant. That protects the control room personnel in case of malfunction and allows the control room to shut down or isolate the power plant before the energy can be released in an uncontrolled manner."

"Of course," scowled Penny. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You can't think of everything, Penny-chan," Atsuko said, looking back at her friend with a friendly smirk. "Even a genius can't think of everything. That's why two geniuses are more efficient than one." She extended a hand balled into a fist. Penny smiled, balled her own fist and touched knuckles with Atsuko.

The two girls edged to a junction corridor and cautiously peered around the corner. At the end of the hall was a door with a dangerous energy warning symbol on it. Standing sentry in front of the door were two burly men with M.A.D. agent written all over them.

"Maybe I can create a distraction and draw them away long enough for you . . ." Atsuko began. Penny waved her off.

"Too risky," Penny replied.

"We've got to get in that room. Do you have a better way?"

"I think I do," Penny smiled as she peered down the corridor. "You see those communication devices on their belts?" Atsuko nodded. "Those are new IMC communicators that M.A.D. has started using. They work on the principle of Instant Messaging technology."

Penny sat down and began tapping commands onto her wrist computer link.

"And you're going to hack into them?" Atsuko asked.

"I'm going to try. M.A.D. has more security than regular Instant Messenger devices, but I don't think it can stop me."

While Atsuko kept a watchful eye out, Penny continued to tap commands on her remote wrist link. Minutes passed and the pair were becoming concerned that Penny wouldn't be able to succeed.

"I'm in," Penny said. "Now I'll just send them both a message to report to their commander in the security section."

Watching from concealment, Penny and Atsuko saw both guards reach for and read their IMC communicators. Without question or hesitation, the two guards hurried off. Once they were gone, the two girls scurried up to the door and opened it.

Inside they found a turbine room generating electricity. Dr. Claw was leaving nothing traceable, generating his own power supply for his lasers. The room was staffed with four men,  
all electrical engineers. Penny and Atsuko ducked behind a hard drive tower, but the workers were too absorbed in their work to notice them. The girls glanced at each other.

"I don't see any way to the control console that won't get us detected," Atsuko said. "I don't suppose these guys have IMC communicators?"

"Maybe, but I can't tell," Penny replied. "I'm not sure they'd all leave anyway. Maybe we can set off the fire alarms?"

"Too loud," Atsuko shook her head. "And it would draw emergency personnel or engage a procedure that would seal the room and trap us in here. Can you hack into it?"

"If I had my computer book with me, I'm sure I could," Penny said. "But with just the remote link, . . ." and she pondered it.

"Does that hesitation mean a maybe?" Atsuko asked.

"Maybe," Penny commented distantly. Her mind was occupied with devising a way to do just that.

Suddenly Penny began entering commands into her wrist link. Atsuko studied her, hoping she could catch some signs of success. She knew time was running out on them. If Penny couldn't gain control of the computers that controlled the power plant, they didn't have very many other options. As Penny worked, Atsuko glanced behind them to make sure they hadn't been spotted.

"Anything, Penny-chan?" Atsuko asked, then mentally berated herself for asking. Penny had enough pressure on her. She didn't need to add to it.

"Not yet," Penny answered.

Atsuko cast another furtive glance behind them. She wished she could be doing something to help besides guarding their backs. The thought of a string of earthquakes and the resulting fires,  
building collapses and tsunamis laying waste to Japan, made her sick with fear. It was all she could do to keep it contained. Her eyes drifted back to the remote link on Penny's wrist. The readouts were encouraging, but nothing concrete yet.

One of the engineers walked toward them. Both girls pulled back behind the computer tower, hoping they wouldn't be seen. Atsuko studied the area again, an emergency plan formulating in her mind. If there was a danger of them being found, Atsuko would make a break for it. By drawing the attention of the engineers, she might be able to buy Penny enough time to finish her work.

The engineer drew nearer. Atsuko tensed, preparing to launch herself if the engineer got to a certain point. She caught herself breathing faster and willed herself to slow down. The footfalls on the deck drew closer, then stopped. Had he seen them? All the while, Penny kept working on hacking into the system. How much more time would she need? Could Atsuko's diversion get her enough?

When the footsteps of the engineer moved off, both girls allowed themselves to exhale. All the while Penny kept working with her wrist link. It was all Atsuko could do to keep her entire body from shivering. She was about to look behind them again when she heard Penny inhale suddenly. Inquiringly she looked to her friend.

Penny nodded excitedly. She was in. They were going to succeed, and in plenty of time.

And just as suddenly two hands closed around Atsuko's arms and hauled the girl to her feet. As she struggled to pull away, she glanced over at Penny. Her friend was trying to dive away from the grasp of the second security guard they'd lured away. But it was not to be; he seized Penny and pulled her to her feet. No amount of struggling by either girl could work them free of the grip of the two guards. They were both hustled out of the room and off to the control room.

In the control room, Penny and Atsuko were jerked to a halt and held in place. Atsuko fought to get free while Penny angrily studied Dr. Nereus as she monitored the laser emissions.

"We found these two in the power plant, Doctor," one of the guards announced. Dr. Nereus turned impatiently to him. She was about to dismiss him, but when she realized who they were holding, her violet eyes flared with anger.

"How did you two get loose?" she demanded. Penny and Atsuko remained defiantly silent. "What were you planning to do in the power plant, hmm? A little sabotage, perhaps? I knew Dr.  
Claw was wrong to stop me from killing you both!"

"You may as well end this, Doctor," Penny spoke up. "The Japanese Coast Guard is already en route to shut you down."

"Well unless they were on your uncle's cruiser, I doubt they'll get here in time," Dr. Nereus replied. Penny glanced at the chronometer on the control panel The countdown was showing twenty-three minutes and forty-one seconds. "Dr. Claw may not let me kill you, but it doesn't mean I have to tolerate you being underfoot." She turned to the guards. "Tie them both to those chairs- - and make it tight this time!

Penny and Atsuko were wrestled over to a pair of pedestal chairs at a communications console. The guards effortlessly thrust them in and held the girls in place while two other guards brought over rolls of black electrical tape. As her wrists were being taped together behind the chair back, Penny quickly surveyed the chair. It was a thin-backed, armless chair that swivelled on a pedestal anchored to the floor. The guard had bent her arms around the chair back and taped her wrists crossed behind it, circling her wrists three times vertically and then three times horizontally.

To Penny's immediate disappointment, tape was brought across her chest, circled over her upper arms, brought across the chair back and across her chest again. Five passes pressed her back into the chair. She realized that she wouldn't be able to slip her arms over the chair back in a bid for freedom. Glancing over at Atsuko, Penny saw her friend was receiving similar treatment.

Another strip of the black insulating tape adhered to her stomach, then circled the chair and her waist five times before being sealed off. Penny knew she wouldn't be able to wriggle out of the grip of these bonds, that she was anchored to the chair back. For good measure, though,  
she was secured to the seat as well when more tape was brought under the bottom of the seat and across her thighs several times. To finish the job, the guard taped her ankles together. Penny glared up at her captor in frustration.

"Don't look so dour," Dr. Nereus said, unable to conceal her vengeful satisfaction. "You're about to witness a watershed in geological science."

"I thought someone with your reputation was smarter than this," Penny retorted. "You have to realize that Dr. Claw is just using you!"

"Of course he is," Nereus scowled. "He's no different than any corporation. He's using my discovery to generate profit for himself. And in the mean time, I'm using his money to prove my theory to the world."

"What could have happened?" Penny demanded, a note of betrayal in her voice. "What could have made someone as brilliant as you so bitter and vengeful?"

"You're familiar with my work?" Dr. Nereus asked, surprised since she was in the presence of what she perceived to be children.

"We both are," Atsuko answered, squirming in her sticky bonds. "You know your stuff. Your theories are radical, but not improbable."

"Congratulations," Nereus responded with a bitter smile. "The pair of you demonstrate more perception than most of the scientific community."

"Because of the earthquake potential?" Atsuko asked.

"A diplomatic way of putting it. I've been dismissed, disregarded, denigrated and generally repudiated. I'm sure there isn't one reason why. Perhaps I'm too radical for some conservative minds. Perhaps I'm too clever and I intimidate some. Perhaps I'm too blunt and I annoy others. Perhaps it's my youth or my gender or a dozen other trivial reasons. But no one professes to believe me enough to sanction a practical demonstration- - except Dr. Claw. He believes."

"And what about all the people in Japan who are going to die?" Atsuko demanded.

"No one is going to die, little girl," Nereus bitterly replied.

"Dr. Nereus!" Penny hissed. "A focused laser beam at the intensity you theorize is going to super-heat the magma layer beneath the tectonic . . .!"

"GAG HER!" roared Dr. Nereus. "And the other one!"

Instantly a hand seized Penny under her chin. It pulled up, holding her jaw in place, while a strip of electrical tape was smoothed over her lips. Penny squirmed, trying to resist, but couldn't prevent her mouth from being sealed by several strips of the sticky tape. Once she was gagged,  
the hand released.

"I WILL NOT be lectured by someone who isn't even in high school!" snarled Dr. Nereus.

"Indeed, Doctor," said Dr. Claw, his shadowy chair visible on a monitor next to the main console. "I've always felt that children should be seen and not heard."

While Atsuko fought a losing battle against her electrical tape restraints, Penny searched out the timer on the main console. It read nine minutes and thirty-six seconds.

"I believe we have less than ten minutes until penetration of the upper crust of the ocean floor," Claw continued. "Has there been any sign of Gadget?"

"No, Dr. Claw," reported one of his agents staffing the outer monitors.

"Hmm," Claw mused. "I'm not certain if that's good news or not. Keep monitoring. Remember, Gadget is to be eliminated on sight. Take no chances."

Out of the corner of her eye, Penny could see Atsuko frantically trying to squirm out of the sticky embrace of the tape across her torso and around her wrists. Penny knew it was hopeless. There was no way to slip the sticky tape or break its insulated covering in less than nine minutes. That's why she didn't even try. But it didn't mean she'd given up.

Twisting her right hand back against her forearm, Penny could maneuver her middle finger so that it touched the computer link that was still on her wrist. Before they were captured, Penny had accessed the computer controls of the power plant. She'd typed in a shut down command and was about to enter it when the guards surprised them. The command was still on the link, waiting for her to press enter. And if she could stretch her finger out just enough to reach that enter key, the power would shut down and Japan would be safe.

If she could reach the key.

As she stretched, she felt the tape dig into her wrists and realized that the layers were actually preventing her from turning her wrists far enough to reach it. The adhesive on the top layer held the layer beneath in place- - while rope or leather had some minuscule give to them, the adhesive of the tape held the bonds rigidly in place, forcing the skin and muscle of her wrists to give. And she was running out of give.

Nervously she glanced over at the countdown display. The countdown was at five minutes and twenty-six seconds. The muscles in her chest flexed until they threatened to rip away. Her spine bowed as much as her bindings would allow. That gave her finger a few more millimeters of extension. It felt like the key was pressing against her fingernail. A swell of hope flourished through her. She glanced at Atsuko. The girl was staring anxiously at her, at once cognizant of what Penny was trying to accomplish. When she realized Penny was looking at her, Atsuko nodded to the countdown display.

Two minutes and twelve seconds.

Bearing down, Penny tried to press the key down with the nail of her middle finger, without success. Folded back into her palm, the finger didn't have enough strength to depress the key. She strained until the tendons in her wrist were on fire, but it wouldn't budge. She glanced back at the countdown.

One minute and fifty-seven seconds.

Penny glanced back at Atsuko. The Japanese girl immediately recognized that something was wrong. She strained against the tape holding her to her chair. Penny fought the urge to panic. Shifting her hand slightly brought both her middle and ring fingers against the key. Clenching her jaw for that last bit of leverage, Penny pressed the nails of her two fingers against the key. She could feel it move. She just couldn't feel it engage.

"One minute, Dr. Claw," Dr Nereus announced with anticipation.

"Excellent," exhorted the evil genius.

"INTRUDER IN THE DEFENSIVE SPHERE!" cried the guard at the security monitor. Nereus and Penny both looked over to the monitor. A manta ray had entered the perimeter at a high rate of speed, dragging something behind it. The robot sharks began to close on the ray.

"IT'S GADGET!" roared Dr. Claw. "ELIMINATE HIM QUICKLY BEFORE HE CAN . . .!"

Upon sighting the sharks, the manta sharply veered away. The violent turn finally managed to dislodge the cuff from its tail. Momentum kept Inspector Gadget shooting toward the wreck, particularly the laser cannon on the fore deck disguised as a deck gun. Gadget barreled into the laser, impacting the barrel of the cannon with his mid-section.

His momentum was sufficient to knock the cannon away from its target, allowing the earth to safely disperse the energy already sown within it. The cannon spun wildly on its axis,  
the high-intensity laser still firing. It sliced the robot sharks in half and the remains sunk lifelessly to the bottom. The cannon continued on, Gadget bent over the barrel, until it spun back toward the conning tower of the Kenneth Whiting. The beam sliced through the hull of the ship and through the lab below, opening a huge gash in the ceiling of the installation.

"BLAST YOU, GADGET!" Dr. Claw roared. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" Then his monitor went black, for at that moment Penny was finally able to fully depress the key on her link and cut the power. A sickly red light bathed the control room as the base went onto auxiliary power.

"Abandon the base!" Dr. Nereus roared angrily as seawater cascaded into the control room. "The hull is compromised! Head for the escape pods!"

As computer equipment sparked and the room began to fill with seawater, Dr. Nereus paused long enough to eject a CD. She stuffed it in the pocket of her jacket and headed out,  
pausing once more to look at the two captive girls squirming to get free.

"Somehow I know you're behind this," she hissed venomously at Penny. "But Dr. Claw apparently doesn't need you alive any longer- - so just DROWN!"

The doctor ran off down a corridor already shin deep in water. Atsuko looked to Penny,  
praying her friend had a way out of this. Penny arched her back and extended her fingers until she could depress the function 1 key. That sent out an automatic distress beacon to Brain's collar communicator. Brain would come for her if he could.

If he had time.

Penny began thrashing against her bindings, with Atsuko quickly following suit. Already the water was up to their knees and rising quickly. Air was rapidly escaping up through the gash in the ceiling and the ocean was making every effort to fill the void. Penny threw herself against the tape across her chest and waist. If she could slip it over the chair back- - but no, the tape was adhered to the back itself. If she could break it - - but the layering of the multiple passes acted to reinforce the tape.

Penny looked back at Atsuko. Her friend was frantically sawing at the tape with the razor blade under her fingernail, risking slicing open her wrists. There wasn't much choice. The water was already up to their waists. The room was still bathed in an eerie red, meaning only auxiliary lights and power functioned. The little blonde girl wracked her brain to think of some way out of this. She glanced up at the ceiling, hoping against hope that Brain or her Uncle Gadget was swimming to their rescue.

Nothing was above them save gushers of seawater.

There was a final 'pop' and the auxiliary lights flickered out. The room was shrouded in an inky blackness. Objects were defined only by silhouette, with low sea green highlights denoting features. Atsuko was barely visible next to her. There was a faint reflection of light on the now-dead monitor. Everything else was black. There was little light left for Penny to see.

But she could still feel. And at that moment she felt the water rising to her chest.

"I'm going to die," Penny thought, wriggling impotently in the grip of her restraints. "I-I, no! No! Atsuko, I'm sorry! Brain . . . Uncle Gadget . . .!"

The water touched her chin.

Something brushed against her arm. Penny turned with a start, twisting as much as her restraints would allow. Something was beside her. Was it some ocean predator? No, it had hair. Then she felt the grip of the tape around her torso loosen. Though her wrists and ankles were still bound, Penny was able to pull free of the chair with the help of the mysterious entity next to her. As she turned to it, what felt like a paw pressed to her face and pulled the tape away from her mouth.

"Brain?" Penny gasped incredulously. A shadowy silhouette bobbing in the water nodded.

"MMMMMFF!" they heard Atsuko squeal in alarm.

There was no more time for talk. A regulator was shoved into Penny's mouth. Bereft of Brain's support when he went to cut Atsuko free, the weight of the tank dragged Penny under the surface. It was a short trip to the floor and from there Penny could see what little was left to see. Two figures were to her left- - they had to be Brain and Atsuko. Above her was the gash in the ceiling and the ocean above them. There was little air left in the complex now. Brain had arrived just in time- - just in time. That thought made Penny shiver.

There was no time to free the wrists and ankles of the two captives. Holding Atsuko in one paw, Brain dipped down and grasped Penny's arm with the other. The two girls bit down on their regulator lifelines and kicked with their still bound feet while Brain guided and propelled them up through the gash and on toward the surface. When their heads bobbed above the surface, the two girls let the regulators slide from their mouths.

"Is that your idea of a vacation?" snapped Atsuko. She was quivering with fright from her near-death experience. Penny could relate.

"That was closer than I ever want to come," Penny panted. "Thank you, Brain."

Unable to support the girls and remove his breathing equipment, Brain merely nodded. They were about sixty yards from the cruiser and everyone realized they'd have to swim the entire distance with their hands and feet bound. Still, it was good to be alive.

"Wait a minute!" Penny gasped in alarm. "What about Uncle Gadget? Brain, is he still down there?" The dog shrugged helplessly. They all knew he couldn't abandon them yet to look for him.

Just then something broke the surface of the water. Everyone turned and saw Inspector Gadget bobbing on the surface supported by the pressure of his inflated overcoat. The Inspector looked dazed.

"Wow-zers!" Gadget exclaimed. "Those M.A.D. agents certainly can hit"

* * *

"After all this time, I shouldn't be astounded, Gadget," Chief Quimby said. He was on video link and Inspector Gadget was talking to him while Penny, Atsuko and Brain watched surreptitiously. The girls were still in their diving clothes. "An underwater drilling base guarded by robot sharks! Only you could have sniffed that out."

Penny and Atsuko exchanged knowing looks.

"All in a days work, Chief," Inspector Gadget replied proudly. "How many were captured?"

"The Japanese Coast Guard report thirty-five prisoners, including one we've identified as one Dr. Dorothy Nereus. Several of the technicians captured have already pointed to her as Dr. Claw's head of operations at the base. It's amazing who he can corrupt. No evidence of Claw,as usual. One of these days, though . . ."

"Ready to report back for my next assignment, Chief," Gadget said, saluting crisply and in the process flipping a compass that was on the desk up into the air and onto the floor.

"No need for that just yet, Gadget," Quimby replied cautiously. "Take some time. You've earned it. You're already in Okinawa. Why not stay there and enjoy the sites for a week or two - - or three?"

"Nonsense, Chief! I'm always on duty!"

"Uncle Gadget!" moaned Penny. Gadget turned and saw Penny in the doorway with an impatient look on her face. Brain and Atsuko were behind her and they didn't look particularly happy, either.

"Um, yes, well I, um, I guess we, um, could, well, lay over for a few days," Gadget stammered.

"Weeks," reiterated Quimby, scratching the back of his hand.

"But the trail - - Dr. Claw," Gadget sputtered.

"Gadget," Quimby said, his tone sharp and warning.

Gadget looked from him to Penny and back.

"All right, Chief," Gadget surrendered. "I'll see you in two weeks."

Penny and Brain high-fived. Quimby severed the connection.

"Well, I guess we're on vacation for the next two weeks," Gadget announced. "I suppose you want to go diving again?"

"Um, I've had my fill of diving for a while, Uncle Gadget," Penny replied delicately. Atsuko nodded her head. "The nearest I want to come to water right now is a hot spring."

"I've been to Okinawa before, Penny-chan," Atsuko added. "I know a wonderful hot spring. And later we can go shopping! I know where all the bargains are, too!"

"Great!" Penny squealed.

"Then we'd better head back," Gadget said. He turned and engaged the motor, but for some reason the cruiser only moved at about a third of its normal speed. "That's odd. I wonder if there's a problem with the propellers?"

Penny, Atsuko and Brain peered over the side. The anchor hadn't been retracted and was at this moment dragging along the ocean bed. Penny and Atsuko looked at each other, trying not to laugh.

Brain only closed his eyes and shook his head.

THE END


End file.
